At long last!

I spend far too much time pruning and strategizing over a long term wantlist in an attempt to quantify future purchases and plan the direction of my collection. Since I've been seriously collecting ancients, three types have always been near the top of my wantlist but I've never managed to acquire them. They aren't the most expensive coins or the rarest but for whatever reason, they've always slipped through my fingers.

Until this past month!

Between two auctions (one well attended, one poorly attended) and one private purchase, I've crossed off these three types. Happily, looking back, each of these are arguably nicer than comparable examples which have come to market so it was the best decision to involuntarily wait.

Carthage Trihemistater: (12.51 grams)


Trajan's Forum aureus (posted a week ago but this picture better represents the coin):


Perseus "Zoilos" tetradrachm: (This is by far the rarest and toughest coin of the three and I'm less surprised to have to have waited for it)




Post the coins you've yearned for and finally found.

 

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Insanely beautiful coins!

 

What he said...

 

WOW!!!! I'd LOVE to have just one as stunning!!!

I suppose the following coins fall into my 'yearned for and finally found' category, especially now that I had to lower my monthly budget for the indefinite future:

 

Congrats, those are amazing! The artistry on the Carthage and Zoilos are simply incredible.

 

Utterly fantastic! The zenith of ancient coin collecting.

 

Magnificent coins @AncientJoe ! WOW!

Nothing below is rare or high grade but they were coins that I yearned for at one time:

The first ancient coin I ever yearned for was a big Ptolemy.


As I began learning more about Alexander the Great and about the coinage I yearned for a lifetime tetradrachm. This is the coin that satisfied that want.


When I started getting interested in ancient coins, I would look at different websites just to see what is out there. I always liked snake and religious themes so when I first saw a cystia mystica I knew I needed one in my collection.


Mostly it's the coins I didn't know I need until I see them that I yearn for the most.

 

Wow!

 

Stunning, as usual!

The Trajan looks familiar -- somewhere in my memory I seem to recall thinking about putting in a bid on it, but I'm not sure. There are a number of Trajan Forum types in different metals, so I'm probably remembering incorrectly... Also can't find your earlier posting on this coin from a week ago.

The Perseus portrait is gorgeous -- I never realized Perseus was the name of a Macedonian ruler as well as the Greek god.

As you and most others on this site know well, my yearned-for coin was the Caligula Three Sisters:

 

Congrats Joe, what a wonderfull hat-trick !

Glad I won these 5 coins in various auctions:

 

I can't say it any better than that.

 

Congrats on acquiring those amazing coin @AncientJoe
Same goes for the rest of the coins posted here. There are same great pieces here.

 

Holy WOW. Carthage I love... AU, Denomination, Horse... Fantastic. Congrats on the Aureus, and fantastic for finding that incredibly tough Zoilos find!

Would you be able to share the TriHemiStater attributes? Year, EL or AU? etc... I enjoy this World Power that later became extinct by the competing Romans.

I would love to honor your post with a couple of mine:

CARTHAGE:

Carthage Zeugitana 350-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 10 SNG COP137 SNG Sicily 975
ex: @Ancientnoob

ZOILOS:

INDO-GREEK KINGDOM Zoilos II Circa 50-40 BCE AR drachm 17mm 2.3g Athena Alkidemos l monograms fought with Antony's Legions at Actium SNG ANS 1654-1658
Ex: @John Anthony

 

Holy shirt! That's probably the coolest thing I have ever seen.

 

Just amazing coins, that's all I can say!

 

All are stupendous! WOW! The Carthage trihemistater... amazing. The Zoilos tetradrachm-- that must be one of the finest Greek portraits in existence. Big big big congratulations

I have many hasty purchases but for this coin I waited, studied dies, waited more, and was then rewarded with a very artistic coin


SICILY, Entella. Punic issues
c. 300-289 BCE; AR tetradrachm, 24 mm, 16.8 gm, 12h)
Obv: head of Melquart-Herakles right, wearing lion skin
Rev: head of horse left; astragalos (cut over poppy) to left, palm tree to right, Punic MHSBM (approximate meaning is "quaestors" or financial controllers) below
Ref: Jenkins, Punic 366 (O115/R298), series 5b
Ex Gorny & Mosch 138 (7 March 2005), lot 33
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-big-one-from-the-wish-list-siculo-punic-tetradrachm.297246/

Here's another favorite, another extremely beautiful, well-struck, and artistic coin. Some crazy man decided it wasn't good enough for his collection and sold it to me


KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III
AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm
late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE
Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.
Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne
Ref: Price 3325
ex Colosseo Collection

 

That is the most amazing Perseus I have very seen.

Many coins fill a hole, some coins scratch an itch, but only a few satisfy a yearning. I think these all qualify for me. I have another on the way that I'm very excited about...

 

just stunning and those pictures are Top shelf as usual

 

Yeah, that the Entella Tet that I am looking for... Still have not got this one...

 

Great examples! Your collection is pretty amazing.